Rose of Life
by hartfairy
Summary: Ib, unpopular, shut-in, and only has art for company, comes across a special magic shop while hiding from bullies. There she acquires a special rose that brings forth old friends, new ones, and mysterious enemies. Will she and her group be able to stop the coming darkness before everyone dies? (T-rated for safety)
1. Beginning of Another Adventure

After the "incident" at the Guertena exhibit, Ib knew nothing of Garry, Mary, the dolls, or anything that ever happened. The young Ib now sixteen years old, was in high school had normal grades, and barely said anything to anyone. But, here was the thing, she loved art. She was extraordinary at art, and she always loved going by the Guertena exhibit.

* * *

The school bell blasted. Ib, was sitting quietly in her seat doodling away her time. It was only five minutes after it rung that her teacher, Ms. Igarashi tapped Ib on the shoulder.

"Ib, sweetie, it's time to go." Ib's bright red eyes glanced up at Ms. Igarashi and nodded quietly. She neatly placed her artwork in her folders and shoved everything else unceremoniously into her backpack. Only she and Ms. Igarashi were left in the room. Her footsteps echoed throughout the room.

It was when she reached the hallway was when Ms. Igarashi caught up to Ib. "I forgot to tell you your parents allow you to visit the Guertena exhibit." At those words, Ib smiled and continued out the school doors. As she walked, Ib faintly heard gossip from the other students.

"_There goes that weird girl, man she's so creepy_!"

"_She must have family issues_..."

"_She will never get a boyfriend_."

"_I hate art, why does she love it so much? OMG I hate her_."

Ib never cared what these people thought. One of them couldn't even spell 'share'! They had the minds of pigeons and were just lemmings of society. Ib sighed. "_I should just block them out_." She thought. "_Anyway, I don't need them, I have art_."

* * *

The Guertena exhibit was always quiet. Almost no one came here but her, and the guards.

"Strange how something that was so popular, is now forgotten." She mused. Ib passed by a colorful, crazy, huge painting, "Fabricated World". And then the two next to it, one had bright blonde hair, a face of an angel, dressed in a green dress with white and yet for some reason Ib loathed it. She wished that painting was never re-created from it's ashes.

The one next to her however, filled her with a kind of sorrow. It was of a man with purple hair, kindly smiling at her, or whoever stood in front of it. A little yellow candy wrapper nested on one of the many blue roses surrounding him. Ib somehow felt as if she could stay with it forever, but rushing footsteps broke the silence

"Oy, where's that dweeb?"

"She shouldn't be far...I can't wait to pound her."

Ib froze, heart pounding, eyes bulging. Izzy and Shayena, the two who always harassed and hurt Ib, were here! She felt as if she were glued to the spot. " I've only got one shot." She thought.

Ib then managed to lift from her spot, and run. She knew there was only one way out of the exhibit, and it was very, very, dangerous, but she had to risk it. These two would stop at no means to make her day miserable, and today she could take it no longer. Ib dashed downstairs, into the hall, and out the door. The door's slam vibrated the upstairs and alerted the bullies.

"She went outside!"

* * *

The cold breeze aided Ib's escape as she raced for her life. Her heart ached. "Even in my solitude, I can't have peace!" She could hear the chatter and thump of her enemies catching up behind her.

"_Can't run, can't hide! Not for long anyway_." Her mind chided.

As a last resort, she ran into the forest. What it's name was exactly, she did not know, but there was a case where a child, maybe the age of ten was found dead. Eyes gouged, legs torn off and other horrendous things. She knew exactly no one dared to go here. Even she had to fight the fear of it.

As she ran the voices of the two dimmed, along with their cruel laughter. She ran deeper and deeper into the forest until she could barely see the light of day. It was dank and musty, it was hard to breathe here too, but not impossible. Ib panted and gasped for her breath. "I don't know the way back." She wheezed. "I'll just hide out here until I die."

Ib now strided calmly as she made her way through the woods. But then she came across a little shop.

"Elives' Magic Shop?" She read aloud.

She wondered why a shop would be in the forest, but seeing as she needed directions she headed inside.

* * *

**(A/N: Yep, since there are sooooooooooooooo leetle Ib crossovers, I decided to add to that. Guess who the little dead girl was? Guess. And yes der will probably be some IbXGarry. I no own the Magic Shop Series or Ib)**


	2. The Rose

The shop was very dark and very many items were stacked randomly, no surprise to Ib since it was in the middle of a forest. The little bell tinkled behind her as she stepped into it. A mysterious hush filled it, it almost frightened Ib, but she quickly retracted it as her gaze turned to something else.

A red rose gracefully resting in a crystal vase. But the rose was more beautiful than any other flower than Ib had seen! What little light there was beamed on it, making the dewdrops look like intricate drops of gold. It was so captivating!

And then a thought crossed Ib's mind that she had never thought before. Theft.

She quickly grabbed the rose and fled out the shop. An owl hooted madly at Ib as she fled. She passed over what seemed like countless thorns, bushes, and roots before she tripped. Mud and dirt covered her shirt and face, but the rose was untouched.

Ib sighed and pushed herself up, seeing her house was about a block away. "That's weird." She thought aloud. She then calmly walked to her house, the rose shimmering with life.

* * *

When Ib got home, her parents almost tackled her with a hug.

"Ib! Where were you?!" Her mother cried. "We were going to call the police!" Ib, wide-eyed and surprised stumbled back. "M-Mom! I've only been gone an hour!"

The two parents had a look of momentary confusion. "Ib, sweetie, it's eleven-o'clock!" Knowing her parents would never believe she found a magic shop in the middle of the woods, and also knowing she would be scolded non-stop because she stole, went into the "murder woods", and also did not confront her bullies as her father always tells her to.

She feigned ignorance and just shrugged. "I guess I just lost track of time. I'm sorry mom and dad for worrying you both." Both parents gave Ib an Anaconda squeeze hug before she begged them to let her go to bed.

* * *

Struggling to sleep, Ib sat up and began to think. "Why in the hells did I steal this rose?!" Her stomach ached with guilt, for the theft, confusion, from the situation, and then sorrow again. All she could think about was the rose and those people! The man and girl from the gallery!

His purple hair, her green dress, his melancholy smile, her joyful one. They both seemed familiar somehow. And the rose! Why did it glow? Why was she thinking about this?

She twirled the rose in her hand as she contemplated her feelings. "It could be worse." She whispered, the rose shone as it seemed to agree.


End file.
